05-08-92 The Riviera Theatre

Phish Live Shows
#1

Friday, 05/08/1992 The Riviera Theatre, North Tonawanda, NY

Set 1: The Curtain > Cavern, Reba, Uncle Pen, It’s Ice, Eliza, Llama, Mound, All Things Reconsidered, Bouncing Around the Room > David Bowie[1], Memories

Set 2: Wilson > My Sweet One, Stash, Magilla, Maze, You Enjoy Myself, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Chalk Dust Torture, Cold as Ice > Terrapin > Hold Your Head Up, Harry Hood, Golgi Apparatus

Encore: Big Black Furry Creature from Mars

[1] All Fall Down, Simpsons, and Random Note signals.

Notes: Bowie had All Fall Down, Simpsons, and Random Note signals.

#2

Sorry all. I meant 5/8/92 when I typed 5/5! Hear the Llama in this first set and then find it in your heart to forgive…

#3

Great opening sequence in Curtain > Cavern. Reba is always a welcome treat early in the first set too. It’s Ice has some great moments and cool to see some forgotten early 90s regulars in Eliza and All Things Considered (as well as Magilla in the second set). Llama rips but the Mound that follows just doesn’t sound right to me. Was correct in assuming this was the first tour they played Mound so that explains it. Great Bowie rounds out a solid first set.

Wilson just seems incomplete without being accompanied by the chant. Still a good version which leads way to a quick and dirty My Sweet One. Although I listened to the rest of the show I was deeply involved with work. Nothing seemed too groundbreaking but I’ll see what the rest of you think and maybe give it another listen later in the week. However, I will comment on a nice mid-set Chalkdust. The placement is great and, unlike any show from the past 15 years where this has been done, it’s not meant to save a lost set. They play this one with confidence and don’t rush through it either.

Overall seemed like a fun Friday night in Buffalo. You’ll all be happy to know this old wooden theater still stands so smoke em if you got em!

#4

Liked this show. First set really stood out for me. Reba was top notch, and Im always impressed w Trey’s guitar work in Pen. Pure talent right there. Always a fan of it’s Ice, and this extended version really did it for me.

Love the Weekly Show Discussion idea by the way. This has been enjoyable… :thumbup:

#5

I really enjoyed the first set. I haven’t listened all the way through the second, so that isn’t a comment on the superiority of set 1. A Curtain opener is a helluva way to get a show going. And then followed by a beatastic Cavern, it made for a very meaty beginning to the show. Being that I haven’t listened to an early Phish album in more than a decade, I have not heard either Eliza or ATR in at least that long and they were both lovely and refreshing to hear. Llama shreds. I’m glad Memories is short. I’m not sure if I said this “aloud” on here somewhere or just thought it, but did they play Memories that much or do we just happen to be picking shows with it?

#6

A lot of frenetic energy in this first set, especially from Trey. Amazing how tight he can keep himself during these moments of high speed and excitement.

Cavern is a great follow up to an opening Curtain. Reba was absolutely supreme, as was Its Ice. And the David Bowie is definitely something to write home about.

We got together and decided to explode your mind. Oh… Ive said too much.

#7

I liked the song mixture in this show - it really appealed to me.

Curtain into Cavern was awesome, just when you think you’re getting a With…BAM!!! Cavern

Reba was great, it seemed like they tried to end it a couple times but Trey wouldn’t have any of it.

The above statement fits in well with Uncle Pen. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Trey play any faster than he is during this song. It’s amazing Mike can even keep up with the vocals. And the crazy thing is, it’s spot on. If he busted out like that today there’d be some minds blown.

It’s Ice, Eliza, Llama, Mound, All Things Reconsidered, Bouncing Around the Room > David Bowie[1]<

^I like this. A couple odd tunes that you don’t hear or think about too much anymore…Eliza & All Things, really good to hear them again. Just a well played sequence of songs, even the Bouncin’ gets a thumbs up from me. And the Bowie is just great.

I have to give the 2nd set another listen. I’m not sure what it is but I haven’t been blown away by any 2nd set so far in the LSD discussions. To second a comment from above…nothing really stood out on the first listen. I’ll give it another go.

#8

Totally agree with that stuff. I still haven’t made it past ATR yet … but so far what stands out to me, is that Trey is the fuckin’ man. He’s just so on point throughout, vocals too. I think the Mound blunder is actually admirable, for the way they really hold it together despite the mistake. The Reba, Ice, and Uncle Pen though, holy shit. I’m still blown away by HeyDayTrey, years and years later. Still some of the best & coolest guitar shredding in the world, in my opinion. Harder to comment on the other three guys, who don’t vary as much night to night at their respective roles, and within an AUD recording where they’re not as well defined. Loves me some Spring 92 though. I saw them two shows later, at UMass Springfest. A really excellent period in their history for sure.

#9

I thought the first set was more exciting too. So much precision and excitement. One of my favorite times for Phish, and it’s awesome Kevin that were there for a time I would’ve loved to see the band. This period is also my favorite time for Weekapaug Groove, because of the ecstatic shredding. As for this show though, everything shreds, and the BBFCfM is just hilarious.

Curtain > Cavern segue is great, and the following Reba really stands out.

How about that Bowie though? I like what they did in the intro, and the early part of the jam is playful and locked in, and I really dig the classic rock stye jam in this Bowie. Bad ass tempo increase. Just wish Mike was louder and more distinct in this mix.

Sometimes I imagine what it would be like to play David Bowie, like to be in the band, and playing David Bowie for a crowd. I’d feel maniacal!

#10

You know, I gave the 2nd set another listen and I have to give it a little more credit than I originally thought.

Although not mind-blowing, they played a pretty solid set. I like hearing the way Wilson used to be without the crowd chanting. Gives it a whole different vibe.

My Sweet One was very well played and again, just like Uncle Pen, at a very fast pace. Stash was good, noting special, just a good stash.

Magilla really stood out to me for some reason. I thought Page really played well here, in fact I think he was really on for this whole show. Maze was well played, considering it was still very new to the live setting. The crowd really seemed to enjoy the ending.

Even I enjoyed this YEM. There was some really great jamming after the boy, man, shit section. Did anyone else hear Page doing a Domo Arigato tease in there?

The Horse>Silent was the only low spot for me in the set. Just an odd placement for that and it wasn’t well played taboot.

A pretty good ending to the set the Ice>Terrapin>HYHU was actually enjoyable with a decent vacuum solo and I thought Trey did a fine job on the drums.

Hood and Golgi were great. Not a bad thing I can say about either of those.

Overall, I’m glad I gave the 2nd set another listen. Another great weekly pick :thumbup:

#11

^ I’m glad you liked it. Note - Maze also had a piano solo instead of organ.

#12

^good observation.

I definitely also need to give set two a second listen. I know I’m getting redundant about this, … but I didn’t know Eddie Van Halen stood in for Trey Anastasio on Spring Tour 92. Dude was ON.

I actually still haven’t finished - still got the Golgi and BBFCFM to go. But I wanted to observe that set two is a crazy great selection of songs, rendered by Phish in their prime. If this were your only tape back in the day, you’d possibly prefer this set on the strength of the songs.

And the rare gems in set one really make it interesting, and I was certainly more captivated by set one, … but at the time I maybe set two was crazier, in context of Phish in those times.

#13

Freaking awesome Golgi. Really cool, I actually listened to it over again right away.

And this BBFCFM is a great one for sure. Another Brady Bunch Theme tease too! Mike, during the “guitar solo” before the ‘I’m running’ verse.

I just f+cking gdd@mn ho!y sh!t tw@t whRe b%#tard f#ck c0ck love this song so much it’s like I’ve attained true inner peace.

#14

Listened to the YEM vocal jam this weekend, and then called a couple of my kids in to show them parts of it.

“Chris… Chris… Chris…” Lol.

I didn’t remember listening to this show before. My posts in this thread suggest otherwise. Pff. :laughing:

#15

I guess this was my pick. Revisiting this disgusting Llama now. Woooooooo.

Kevin, what were your kids reactions to the vocal jams? Do they like Phish? What’s it like for your teenagers to have a Phish dad? Do they make fun of you? Or are they like, “Fuck yeah I have a rock-dad.”

#16

Boy I had to really think, to remember where I left a question unanswered around here, sorry Drew… My kids are older, and it’s all I’ve known, I don’t have a cool answer for this one! I don’t think they make fun of me … !

They like Phish enough, they appreciate the humor especially. None of them go out of their way to listen to Phish though. In this case, we all chuckled about that vocal jam a few times over the next day or so.

I wonder sometimes though, like, yeah; how come they’re not more like “fuck yeah I have a rock-Dad”?